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ELI President Scott Fulton’s Statement on the U.S. Withdrawal From the Paris Accord

June 2017

In the wake of President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and a likely diminishment in the federal role in addressing climate change, attention necessarily shifts to the actions of others in the governance chain, including states, cities, and companies. Investors, workers, and consumers all have significant roles as well in defining an effective path forward. As the country’s preeminent resource for creative environmental governance and rule of law, the Environmental Law Institute is committed to helping all of these sectors and the legal community at large, offering the knowledge and capacity they need to provide leadership in addressing the climate change phenomenon.

In the months ahead, through our new Macbeth Dialogues, ELI will be working with stakeholders to find ways to leverage efforts and advance innovation at the state level. For those trying to understand the practical implications of this decision and other Trump Administration initiatives, we will continue to offer insight and analysis through seminars, reports, and our blog series. To those nations who remain committed to the accord, we offer a model law for implementing nationally determined contributions. And just as we did at the 2016 ELI-Miriam Hamilton Keare Policy Forum, we will continue to discuss and assess legal and policy mechanisms that can facilitate the transition to a climate sensitive future through the actions of companies.

ELI remains committed to bridging differences across economic interests and policy divides in order to find common ground among diverse interests that lead to meaningful solutions rooted in the rule of law.